Canadating wrote:

Night two with the new hybrid was absolutely outstanding.  After making multiple adjustments so I could keep it in place on my side, going to large pillows for a better seal, and moving the tubing down instead of up, both my husband and I slept ALLLLLL night long with no interruptions.   It was quiet, pillows didn't slip after adjusting top headpiece tighter, and I had no major marks and NO soreness this a.m.  It is the first time in the 30 days I've been on CPAP, we both have slept through.   I actually awakened before the alarm this morning, alert and feeling rested.  

BTW - I live in Canada, and ordered online from US.   USPS priority mail was A$20 US, duty and taxes $21.54.   Worth every penny of it and not as bad as I thought it would be.

Thanks for your post. I'm in Canada too and looking at mask choices. I'm concerned because some vendors won't sell to me here in Canada.

DaveL

Each one of us has to find a mask that suits us best

There are many brands of masks out there and each brand has a few designs as well as sizes.
Then there are the nasal masks, the ful face masks, the nasal pillows and full face with nasal pillows. Please also note that each technician has his own preference towards brand and that is what they will push and not what is best for the patient. The technician I go to is pretty good and she just has a few Resmed masks and a few Resprionics one. Never heard of the Hybrid either.,

We can all use these forums to educate ourselves on what is available out there and what other users have to say and armed with this knowledge we need to get out there and pick what is best and demand a free trial. One mask may seem a great fit in a technicians chair sitting up for a few minutes. but then are we going to stay pleased all night, night after night ? we do not know.

I was extremely please with the Quattro when I was fitted with one but then I have been battling leaks and beeping Resmed S8 machine that keeps me awake all night.

We are the consumers and we have to demand better designed sleep apnea masks and we have a right to this demand.



Last edited by Ramboaus on Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:08 am; edited 3 times in total
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Ram
http://www.vadclub.com

In my opinion companies who manufacture cpap machines have failed the sleep apnea sufferers by not designing good masks that do not leak. What use is a CPAP when the masks leak ? No use at all and that means that while we may believe that our sleep apnea is treated as we diligently wear the sleep masks night after night the truth is that our health is deteriorating at a rapid rate.

The manufacturers have a duty and a moral obligation to design better masks and what is available on the market right now is not good enough.

What good is a pacemaker if it cannot maintain the heart rate ?
What use is a CPAP when the mask leaks and sufferers have to resort to creams, rubber bands, wire ties, stretched ear plugs, ribbons, head bands, plumbers tape etc to prevent leaks.

We sleep apnea sufferers need to send a petition to manufacturers demanding better leak proof masks.


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Ram
http://www.vadclub.com

I kept wondering where my  posts had gone. I am used to participating in sleep apnea help that I failed to realise that this thread was under sleep apnea masks and machines directory,


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Ram
http://www.vadclub.com

Does any one have a Hybrid Mask that is not being used ? I would like to get a second hand one to test out to see if it works for me before I get a brand new one.


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Ram
http://www.vadclub.com

Diane wrote:

Just wanted to say that after a year (I can't believe it, where does time go?) I am still going strong on the Hybrid.
I took some breaks to try new masks for a short time like the Mirage Liberty and found that the Hybrid was still better by far for me. I did discover that my Liberty pillows fit my Hybrid but not the other way around. I like the hybrid pillows better but can use the other pillows as back up, right? I also tried the Comfortfull for a week and went back to my comfy Hybrid. This is the longest I have stuck with one mask. I thing I must have 20 plus masks with numerious parts in my closit.

Dear Diane,
I know how happy you are with the Hybrid Mask and have got me very interested with your comments on the Most popular Mask thread. I did not realise that the Hybrid is not something new and was released way back mid 2006. Strange I found this thread through Google search. Interestin to realsie that Innomed designed and developed the product for Resp Care and Teleflex distribute the product globally

Here is a high quality video clip on the Hybrid Mask

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWuDKtp9cNI


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Ram
http://www.vadclub.com

I'm happy for you that the Teleflex has worked so well for you.  I got one about 6 months ago, and, try as I might, I just could not get it to stop leaking unless I tightened it so much that it was very painful.  What's really frustrating is that I went to my local sleep lab last week, to see if they could help with it.  After a little fiddling around the tech was able to adjust it so that it wasn't leaking.  I brought it home that night, and when I snapped the mask on it was leaking again and blowing air very loudly.  Try as I might I couldn't get it to the same adjustment that the tech did.  Obviously I can't have a tech at my house at bed time to adjust it!  It just seems so darned sensitive.  Are there any suggestions at all as to how to adjust it?  The tech did mention that I should first insert my nostrils in and then tilt the mask down to cover my chin.  I tried that, but I just couldn't get it to work.  When I first had it on, it was blowing air very loudly out of the front.  There didn't seem to be much leakage from my nose, but when I took my finger and pressed the nasal pillows slightly into my nostrils, the loud "whoosing" stopped.  Unfortunately I couldn't figure out a strap adjustment that would have the same effect.  For a few nights I've been lying awake for about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, and then just get disgusted, take off the mask and immediately fall asleep.

Victor

I tried the Swift Mirage II, and one other mask with only nasal pads, and at my pressures air would build up in my cheeks and periodically spurt out my mouth, waking me. So for the third time I returned to my DME and asked to try masks that would cover my mouth. From this forum, I was particularly interested in trying the Teleflex Hybrid. I tried the Quatro, the Liberty Hybrid, and the Teleflex Hybrid, and one or two others. All leaked horribly except the Teleflex Hybrid. I opted for it and have not been sorry. I like the fact that it comes with three different sizes of nasal pads as well as 3 different sizes of mask gaskets, for ultimately after a day or two with the nasal pads that were recommended by the DME, I switched to another size, and feel I have a good fit. It takes some experimentation to find the right mix of nasal pads and mask gasket, and strap tension, but it's worth the doing.

The first few days I had a little irritation of the philtrum until I realized that the nasal pads were sometimes pinching it between them. I learned to stretch the skin under my nose apart when putting on the mask to avoid this, and have not had the irritation since. I like the fact that the lateral borders of the mask gasket press my cheeks in and help keep them from puffing out with the air pressure. The bottom flange also helps to keep my mouth shut while asleep, and helps to assure the mask goes on in a consistent position each night. The mask also allows comfortable side sleeping, and as long as you keep the mask tube pointed downward, noise is very minimal. In fact I think its noise is less than I remember with the Mirage Swift II, which I recall sounded like listening to Darth Vader breath all night. I also like being able to wear my glasses and read with the mask on.

I love this mask, and am finally sleeping like a baby. And no more snores. And no more waking or "arousing" 25 times per hour as the sleep test showed I had been doing.

I've been on CPAP almost a year.  I started out with Mirage Swift Nasal Pillows.  After a bit of fiddling around with the pillow size it got to be pretty comfortable.  The big problem was that it didn't seem to do anything for me!  After four months (prompted by discussions on this on other forums) I decided that I must be a mouth breather, and discussed this with my sleep doctor.  He then fitted me for an F&P 431A.  I noticed that I was sleeping much deeper with it, but in the morning when I wake up I feel like if I didn't have anywhere to go I would just go back to sleep.  I've been using it since March, and it literally takes me 10 to 11 hours to feel fully awake after I get up.  The other big problem is that the F&P either leaks all over the place, or I have to tighten the straps so much that I have a big red mark on the bridge of my nose and deep strap marks on my face which don't go away for about 3 or 4 hours.  Even with that it still blows air into my eyes half the time.  Based on what I've read I asked the doc to prescribe a Respcare Universal Hybrid (he hadn't even heard of the mask).  I got mine a few weeks ago.  I tried for a few nights to get it to fit, but either my face is really weird or there's something strange about the mask.  When I put the mouth part into my mouth, and insert the nasal pillows they angle significantly away from my nostrils (out from my face) -- by maybe 1/4 " or more.  If I try to bend them back to get in my nose they are both very uncomfortable, and pop out.  I've checked a number of times to make sure that they're inserted as they should be.  I'd really like to get this mask to work, but it just seems completely out of whack with the configuration of my face.  Any suggestions?

Victor

I just didnt like the pillows on the resmed liberty. They made my nose so sore. too much pressure pushing up against my nose.
I love the hybrid pillows. Love them. They got it right.

I'm still not completely decided on the Hybrid vs. the Liberty. I still need to write up a comparison of both. There are things about the Liberty that are better than the Hybrid, and vice versa. I guess if I absolutely had to choose I'd probably choose the Hybrid, even though currently I'm using the Liberty more often.


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<--Will-->
http://www.inside-corner.com
http://www.willwillis.us

One year for me too!!!   I Still prefer the Hybrid!


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mesocosm

OSA / PLMD / Atrial Fibrillation

Just wanted to say that after a year (I can't believe it, where does time go?) I am still going strong on the Hybrid.
I took some breaks to try new masks for a short time like the Mirage Liberty and found that the Hybrid was still better by far for me. I did discover that my Liberty pillows fit my Hybrid but not the other way around. I like the hybrid pillows better but can use the other pillows as back up, right? I also tried the Comfortfull for a week and went back to my comfy Hybrid. This is the longest I have stuck with one mask. I thing I must have 20 plus masks with numerious parts in my closit.

I noticed right away how much better I slept better with the Hybrid. What I'm having trouble with is figuring out how an unknown company could come out with a mask so much better than a well known company like resmed.
The hybrid puts the resmed liberty to shame. I just hope people dont get confused because they look so much alike.

I have been at the point of throwing my Respironics M/C-Flex machine out the window after 8-months and trying several masks that ranged from painful to useless and impossible to use effectively due to a wide range of problems related to painful masks, major air leaks, mouth breathing, severe dry mouth, feeling of suffocation, on top of this ineffective CPAP treatment results, no sleeping improvement, etc. I just received my new Innomed Hybrid HYB-500 5 days ago and it is a Godsend!!

This mask has solved ALL the problems I had and it appears that after 4 nights I'm getting 6-8 hours of restful sleep. It is so comfortable, it is a pleasure to wear, and you don't wake up in two hors wanting to tear the mask off. This mask design is a true breakthrough in so many ways - not the least of which is an ability to wear glasses with it and not having to wear a chin strap and the accompanying head gear does not look like you've come from Mars.

I can't recommend this mask highly enough. It comes with 9 different size combinations and it is simply awesome. Finally CPAP therapy that has a light at the end of the tunnel - and it is not an approaching locomotive.